


The Art of Falling Out of Time

by ROSIERS



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Hogwarts House Sorting, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, BAMF Harry, Character Death, Character Development, Dark Harry, Dark Magic, Death Eaters, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Feminist Bellatrix, Good Slytherins, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, HP: EWE, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Manipulative Dumbledore, Marauders, Marauders' Era, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), POV Multiple, Pureblood Culture, Pureblood Society, Sane Bellatrix Black Lestrange, Sexual Content, Slytherin Harry, Slytherins Being Slytherins, The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Time Travel, lmao no they're such assholes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-15 22:03:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13040358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ROSIERS/pseuds/ROSIERS
Summary: The war was over and they had won, but the cost of victory was far too high.





	1. Chapter 1

_**Harry James Potter**_  

_You’re too mean, I don’t like you, fuck you anyway_

_You make me wanna scream at the top of my lungs_

_It hurts but I won’t fight you_

_You suck anyway_

_You make me wanna die, right when I_

_\- Afraid, The Neighbourhood_

* * *

  ** _Hermione Jean Granger_**

**_ _ **

_'Cause it makes me that much stronger_

_Makes me work a little bit harder_

_It makes me that much wiser_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Made me learn a little bit faster_

_Made my skin a little bit thicker_

_Makes me that much smarter_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_\- Fighter, Christina Aguilera_

* * *

** _Ron Bilius Weasley_ **

**_ _ **

  _Someone like you, and all you know, and how you speak_

_Countless lovers under cover of the street_

_You know that I could use somebody_  

 _\- Use Somebody, Kings of Leon_   

* * *

  ** _Draco Lucius Malfoy_**

**_ _ **

_Border line_

_Dead inside_

_I don't mind_

_Falling to pieces_

_Count me in, violent_

_Let's begin feeding the sickness_

_How do I simplify?_

_Dislocate the enemy's on the way_

_\- Unknown Soldier, Breaking Benjamin_

* * *

  ** _Pansy Marguerite Parkinson_**

** __ **

_If I told you 'bout my sex life, you'd call me a slut_

_When boys be talkin' about their bitches, no one's makin' a fuss_

_There's a glass ceilin' to break, uh-huh, there's money to make_

_And now it's time to speed it up 'cause I can't move at this pace_

_Sometimes it's hard to find the words to say_

_I'll go ahead and say them anyway_

_Forget your balls and grow a pair of tits_

_It's hard, it's hard, it's hard out here for a bitch_  

 _\- Hard Out Here, Lily Allen_  

* * *

  ** _Varina Eris Lestrange_**

_Don't mess with me_

_Cause all your heads are gonna roll_

_I've made your misery my goal_

_So if you want survival, kneel on my arrival_   
  
_This is how I rule the world_

_\- Don't Mess With Me, Temposhark_

* * *

 

**_nulla  _ **

 

"This isn't a good idea."

 _Of course, it isn't_ , Harry Potter thought to himself as he looked over at Hermione Granger, who was looking anxiously at the door,  _it's our only option, though._

"We have to, 'Mione." Ron Weasley responded, "The world's gone to shit - beyond repair and we can't fix it ourselves."

"But  _them?_ " Hermione pleaded, "Do we really have to ask  _them?_ "

Ron sighed, "They make the most sense and they'll be able to get the most done with their names, at least."

"And they've lost more people to this futile war than anyone else," Harry added.

"Oh my, oh  _my_ , are you talking about us behind our back? Naughty,  _naughty_." came a mocking female voice from the door and immediately Harry watched as Hermione and Ron scowled as they turned to face her.

Varina Lestrange, Malfoy’s cousin. Long platinum blonde hair from her mother, Ariadne Malfoy, the naturally tan skin and golden eyes of the Lestrange family and the combined aristocratic features of both. She, like Harry, Ron, and Hermione, was dressed in her night clothes, having apparently gotten up from bed and came straight here when Harry sent the urgent call to her, Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. 

Hermione nearly scoffed, "Do you wear that to bed every night?" She asked in distaste and Lestrange raised one elegant eyebrow before moving over to one of the chairs. 

Harry had to agree with Hermione, in this case, but he wouldn't have said it. Lestrange was dressed in simple enough black silk pajamas: shorts and a low-cut tank top, but she wore a sheer black robe with a red fur trim and matching red shoes with a fur toe-strap. She also held an expensive looking champagne glass in her hand.

"I was preparing for bed." she corrected haughtily, "And  _yes,_ I do wear this - or something similar, to bed every night. _'A Lestrange must always look her finest',_ Uncle Rodolphus would say." 

 _Yes, because your Uncle is such a great role model_ , Harry thought scathingly to himself and as if she sensed his thoughts, Lestrange looked at him with narrowed, challenging gold eyes.

"You're wearing  _heels_." Hermione argued in disbelief, "To  _bed!"_

"To _get_   _ready_ for bed." Lestrange corrected again, "And if you think these are  _heels_ , my dear, you have never seen a pair of heels before. These are  _slippers_."

"Slippers!" Hermione exclaimed, almost sounding outraged as she looked at Lestrange's shoes.

"Honestly, what is the meaning of calling us at this ungodly hour?" Another female voice scoffed from the doorway and Pansy Parkinson walked into the room looking fairly annoyed. Like the rest of them, she was in her pajamas, but they were covered by a simple white robe, which was loosely tied around her waist and black slippers.

" _Those_ are slippers." Hermione pointed at Parkinson's slippers, " _These_ are slippers." she pointed at her own.

Parkinson frowned, "So are those." She motioned towards Lestrange's and Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Where's Malfoy?" Harry asked the two of them as Parkinson went to sit next to Lestrange.

"Perhaps you don't recall that Draco is in  _hiding_ because of your precious Light. Draco is going to have far more trouble getting here than Pansy or I did." Lestrange sneered.

Harry's eyes narrowed, "If we had known what they planned to do-"

"Then what?" Parkinson laughed, "You would have helped the Dark Lord? I think not!"

Harry frowned,  _at this point, he didn't even know what would have been worse: The Dark or Light winning. The Light, as it turns out, is just as fucking horrible as the Dark was - just as extreme. This isn't what he fought for - he never would have fought for this. But the Dark Lord was just as bad - what he did to his followers... He_ killed _some of them just for the hell of it._

"No, I would have fought against them both," Harry admitted.

Lestrange and Parkinson both blinked in shock, before wiping the shocked expressions off their faces and looking at all three of them with narrowed eyes.

"I apologize for being late, I had to take a detour because there were too many Aurors on the street." Draco Malfoy finally walked into the room and Harry held back a wince - he looked  _terrible_ as if he hadn't slept in days. "Cousin." He greeted quietly, leaning down to press his lips against Lestrange's cheek before nodding at Parkinson and taking a seat between them.

Lestrange frowned in concern as she looked at Malfoy, "When was the last time you got a decent night of sleep?" She asked him quietly. 

Malfoy shook his head, "Doesn't matter." He said before turning to Harry, "What's going on?"

Harry looked at him and pulled back an old book, "We found a spell, one that could send us back in time before any of this ever happened. We can change it." He said and immediately Lestrange's eyes widened.

"Where?" She asked urgently.

"The Black Library, Grimmauld Place," Harry told her.

"May I?" She asked, holding her hand and Harry handed her the book.

"It's on page-" Hermione began but Lestrange cut her off.

"I know what page it is. I've read this like fifteen times. If it's the spell I think it is, it will definitely work, Merlin I haven't seen this in years. I miss the Black's Library." She said, almost wistfully as she read through the page.

"We couldn't read most of it, but we could piece together some of it," Hermione admitted and Lestrange nodded.

"You wouldn't. It's in Old Latin. Draco and I only know it because Grandfather Abraxas was a big stiffer for the Old Ways. The Old-Old Ways." Lestrange explained as she and Malfoy skimmed through the page. "This could definitely work, but we can't choose how far we get thrown back in time. It can be anywhere from ten to one hundred years."

Ron nodded, "Okay. Let's do it."

Parkinson rolled her eyes, "Gryffindors." she muttered. "We need to go get changed if we're going to do this. I'm not traveling back in time in my night clothes."

"We don't have time." Hermione replied, "We need to do this now. Too many people have died, every second we waste talking is a risk."

Parkinson looked annoyed briefly, "We're well aware how many people have  _died_ , Granger." She hissed.

"I didn't mean it like that." Hermione sighed, "We just-we don't have time."

"Okay." Malfoy agreed, "Do you want to do it or should I?" He asked Lestrange and Lestrange sighed.

"I'll do it." She said. She lifted her shirt up briefly to take out a nasty looking blade that was strapped to her waist.

"Why do you have that on you?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"It's a sacrificial blade. All of the old families have one - the Malfoys, Blacks, Lestranges, Notts." Parkinson told him briefly. "They're used in blood rituals."

"I know what it is." Ron frowned, "But that doesn't explain why she has it on her." 

"It's in case we get attacked. If we do, we could use the blade to save our lives." Malfoy said quietly, "Ever since Theo we've had it on us at all times." 

Lestrange physically flinched when Malfoy said Nott's name and Harry frowned. 

Nott had been murdered by Voldemort near the end of the war. He and Lestrange had been betrothed since birth, Harry didn't know exactly how - or why -he had been killed, but it had been bad.

Lestrange grit her teeth before slicing through her palm before putting the knife back in her waistband. "Sit in a circle." She ordered and immediately Malfoy and Parkinson sat on the ground, Hermione, Ron, and Harry following so that they were in a circle with a space open where Lestrange was standing. She held her hand out over the middle of the circle and let the blood drip to the ground, making an odd looking symbol.

She held the book in one hand and began reciting the words from the book. The air around them in the small room began to grow heavier - almost oppressively so. It seemed to seep into Harry's skin and through his body - his blood, he could feel it caressing his very own magical core. It was almost  _tangible_ he could practically taste it in the air around him

_Is this what Dark Magic is? It's... intoxicating._

And then he passed out.

* * *

He woke up to Lestrange's mocking voice: "Oh, how embarrassing. You look very pathetic right now, Weasley." Lestrange noted and Harry forced himself to his feet, his head spinning. 

It took him a moment to realize where he was: The Great Hall.  _How?_

"Fuck you, Lestrange." He spat out furiously before gagging, "What the fuck was that?"

He looked down and saw Ron dry heaving on the ground, on his hands and knees shaking and Lestrange simply standing upright smirking down at him as if he were the most amusing thing that happened this century.

People were whispering all over.

_What?_

He looked up and to his horror, saw that the Great Hall was full of students. No one he knew though.

_How far back were they? Not the last few years._

"Guys." He said and nodded towards the students in tables around them.

"We're well aware, Potter." Parkinson hissed as she rose to her feet next to Lestrange, "How the hell were you the only one that managed to stay standing, Varina?" 

Lestrange gave her a cocky grin, "I'm a-"

"Never mind," Parkinson muttered and her eyes flickered around the Great Hall. "I don't recognize any of these people," she said quietly.

"I do!" Lestrange grinned, nodding over to the Slytherin table and she spoke quietly to Parkinson, "Uncle Rod, Uncle Lucius, Aunt Bella, and daddy are right there. We're in the seventies, or so."

Harry's eyes widened and shot over to the Gryffindor table and sure enough, the Marauders and his mother.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered.

"What is the meaning of this?"

 _Dumbledore_ , Harry recognized the booming voice as the older man - yet younger than what he remembered - walked towards them.

Lestrange immediately put the book behind her back.

"What did you just put behind your back?" Dumbledore demanded.

"Nothing." Lestrange smiled.

" _Accio book!"_

Nothing came forward and Lestrange smiled wider holding her hands in front of her - empty, shrugging.

"How did you get through the wards of the castle?" He asked the six of them, and this time it was Hermione that responded.

"Can we, perhaps, speak in private?" She asked, looking back to all of the students.

Dumbledore nodded and then motioned for McGonagall to come with them, "Come. Follow me to my office."

* * *

 "How did you get here?" Dumbledore immediately asked as the door to his office closed behind them.

"Well, first, might we ask what the date is?" Parkinson shot right back and Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly.

"It is Wednesday, the tenth of September, 1975," McGonagall told them and Malfoy's eyes shot up.

"Twenty-six years, then," he muttered.

"Future or past?" Dumbledore asked. "And how?"

"Future. We were fighting in the Department of Mysteries. In the Time Room. There was an explosion and we were all sent back here." Lestrange spoke up, lying as easily as she could breathe. 

_What._

"And you were in your night clothes? Fighting?" Dumbledore asked Lestrange slightly accusatory but Lestrange just rolled her eyes.

"Um, yes. You can blame yourself for that."  _What is she doing?_ "Honestly, who calls someone to a battle at two in the morning.  _I_ thought it was a simple meeting, as did everyone else, obviously."

"Why would I-?"

"Order of the Phoenix." Lestrange said, and Harry's eyes widened, "Duh."

Dumbledore's entire attitude changed, "You lot were a part of the Order?" He asked with narrowed eyes, "You're young-"

"We were twenty-one. I don't know why our bodies changed when we came back." Lestrange interrupted. "It's best that we came back anyway. We were losing the war terribly, at the rate everything was going, the world would be destroyed. Now we can change that."

"I don't know-"

"We're in the  _prime_ position to strike right now, we _know_ what will happen. If you can't see that..." she trailed off and Dumbledore sighed.

"I do, but I will need more proof than simply your word. You understand of course..."

"Of course." Lestrange smiled genially, but Harry saw right through it to the predatory grin it was. "You may look into my mind if you wish."

Harry's eyes briefly widened,  _what the fuck are you doing, Lestrange?_

At once Dumbledore's eyes met hers and for a moment, they simply sat there and then Dumbledore pulled back and nodded, "Very well, we'll have you sorted and placed into houses, why don't you all take a seat."

Lestrange turned around, her back facing Dumbledore and her eyes met his, and a cruel grin was etched on her face as if she were saying:  _you dared to doubt me?_

"I'll need your names, your blood status, and birthdates to put in the records book," Dumbledore asked as he took the Sorting Hat from the shelf.

"Granger, Hermione. Muggleborn." Hermione stepped forward first, frowning as she counted backward, "September 19th... 1959."

He motioned for Hermione to move forward and placed the Hat on her head. It took several moments for it to call out, not as loud as it would in the Great Hall: "Gryffindor!"

Lestrange stepped forward, "Lestrange, Varina. Pureblood. December 13th, 1959."

Dumbledore's eyes shot towards her, distrusting once again. "And you fought for the Order?" He asked, questioningly.

"Albus." McGonagall hissed, looking almost scandalized at how he discriminated because of her name.

"Because of the Dark Lord, my mother died. My father, uncle, and aunt were thrown into Azkaban and went insane. Then he _killed_ my father for not giving me to him. He  _tortured_  my best friends. _Yes_ , I fought for the Order." She spat and Dumbledore nodded.

"I apologize." He said and placed the hat on her head. 

Not even several seconds later, it called out "Slytherin!" and for a moment, the distrustful look reappeared on his face before it disappeared.

"Malfoy, Draco. Pureblood. June 5th, 1960."

Malfoy sat down on the chair and he looked as if he were fighting with the hat and then it yelled: "Gryffindor!"

Malfoy looked horrified as did Ron, Lestrange and Parkinson began laughing at him, Dumbledore looked oddly pleased.

Parkinson stepped forward.

"Parkinson, Pansy. Pureblood. February 4th, 1960."

Slytherin.

Harry stood there for a moment until Ron nudged him and he realized that it was his turn. "Potter, Harry. Half-blood. July 31st, 1960." 

Dumbledore smiled at him, but he couldn't force himself to smile back.

 _"Hello again, Mr. Potter."_ The familiar voice of the Sorting Hat spoke in his head.

 _Hello._ Harry thought,  _How do you know we've met before and can you just put me back into Gryffindor? So I can meet my parents, maybe._

 _"I am not bound by the same restrictions of time as your kind are. I can see and have seen every student I have ever sorted,"_ the Sorting Hat explained, _"regardless, I still have more students to Sort. I do wish you luck in your endeavors, Mr. Potter, and I do hope you save our world - and these children - from the terrible fate they're destined to meet."_

 _Wait, Gryffindor, I want Gryffindor_ , he thought desperately.

_You were meant for Slytherin, Mr. Potter. I cannot let you fight that twice._

"Slytherin!"

Hermione gasped and Ron's mouth dropped, Lestrange stared at him in disbelief, Malfoy glared at him. He looked back at Dumbledore from the corner of his eye and found him staring at him with an odd, calculating look.

Ron leaped forward to take the attention off of Harry, "Weasley, Ronald. Pureblood. March 1st, 1960."

The Hat barely touched his head before it yelled: "Gryffindor!"

"Very well. I suppose you all know where the Common Rooms are for your respective houses?"

They all nodded except Malfoy, "We'll show you." Ron told him and Malfoy nodded absentmindedly.

"I'll have the House Elves provide you with uniforms. This weekend you may all go to Diagon Alley to get suitable robes and school supplies, since you were twenty-one before you came back, I assume you all know how to apparate and I can trust you to go there by yourselves?" Dumbledore asked and they all nodded. "Then you may go to your Common Rooms. I'm sure you've all had a very long day."

They thanked him, he told Lestrange and Hermione the passwords to their Common Rooms and they left.

"See you later, mate. Good luck." Ron said to him and Hermione hugged him.

Parkinson scoffed, "Relax, it's not as if he's walking to his death. He's going to the Common Room."

"Might as well be the same thing," Harry muttered and Malfoy gave him such a nasty glare that Harry almost flinched.

"Well, I'd  _gladly_ trade places with you, Potter." He spat. "Can we go?"

Ron and Hermione nodded, giving Harry a guilty look before heading towards the Gryffindor Common Room.

"You've been holding out on us, Potter." Lestrange teased as they head towards the dungeons. She saw the look on his face and cooed, "Don't you worry, we won't let the nasty little snakes bite you too hard."

Harry scowled at her and they walked in silence until they reached the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room.

" _Aut vincere aut mori."_

The passage opened.

 _And so it begins_ , Harry thought dreadfully. 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

_ **i** _

 

Hermione Granger approached the Common Room warily. One, because Draco Malfoy was right behind her and she could feel him glaring deeply into her back and two, because she didn't want to be ambushed inside. 

She knew that they would be no matter how much she wished otherwise because she had lived with people like this for seven years of her life.

With that said, she was thoroughly surprised to see the Common Room nearly empty.

Nearly.

"Hey,  _hey!_ " a grating voice that had Hermione wincing in irritation spoke loudly, "You were the ones that just popped into the Great Hall, right?"

Hermione turned towards the fireplace, which was where the voice came from and her eyes fell on - she paused,  _Harry?_

 _No,_ she realized,  _this is Harry's father. James._

"Yes." She replied with a frown, "And you are?"

James Potter stood with a grin and a wink, "James Potter at your service." he greeted, "And you?"

"Hermione Granger." She said, "This my friend, Ron Weasley and..." she hesitated as she looked at Draco.

"You're a Malfoy," A male voice said languidly - though younger and more handsome, Hermione recognized the boy that was leaning against the wall staring at Malfoy with narrowed eyes - Sirius Black, Harry's godfather.

Malfoy's eyes met Sirius's staring back with just as much distrust and dislike, "Yes, what an astute observation." he drawled sarcastically.

Sirius's eyes narrowed further, "I recognized that book your friend was holding - a Lestrange, you called her? Where is she?" he turned to Ron.

"Varina Lestrange. She was sorted into Slytherin." Ron replied.

Sirius snorted, "No surprise there." he muttered under his breath, "Did you know what that book was?"

Hermione went to respond but Malfoy beat her to it. "No," he said flatly. "It was Varina's, Merlin knows why she carries that stuff around all the time but none of us are going to be the ones to question her."

"Hm." Sirius hummed, obviously not believing a word that left Malfoy's mouth. "Well, I have a question." He stated, "How is it that this Varina girl is a Lestrange, while I know that that is impossible. There are no other Lestranges in this generation."

 _Attentive,_ Hermione noted, her eyes narrowing slightly,  _far more than he was in our future._

Hermione glanced at Malfoy and Ron and saw that they were just as lost at how to answer.

 _Of course, he would realize, he was raised with most of them,_ Hermione realized.

"Would you believe us if we told you that we came from the future?" Ron immediately said and Hermione's eyes widened.

"Ron!" She hissed, "Really?"

Ron looked at her and raised his eyebrows, leaning closer to her to say quietly, "We're here to change  _our_ future from happening, 'Mione. We can't do that without people's help."

"Wait, seriously?" James said, stunned, "That would explain how you got through the wards. But the  _future_? How far?"

"Thirty-ish years." Ron shrugged.

" _Ron!"_

"That also explains the book that Lestrange was holding," Sirius noted, leaning back with a slight smirk, "You're lucky that she hid it before Dumbledore noticed what it was."

"You mean  _she's_ lucky." Malfoy corrected, amusement flashing in his eyes.

"Yes." Sirius snorted, "Are you Lucius Malfoy's kid then?" he asked curiously.

Malfoy nodded and Sirius looked at Ron, "And you're Arthur Weasley's?" Ron nodded, "So then your mother is Moriah Prewett?"

Ron frowned, "Molly. Molly Prewett," and then James nodded suddenly.

"She changed her name, remember?" He looked at Sirius who's eyes flashed with realization.

"Yeah, that whole business was quite the scandal." He laughed briefly before looking at Ron, "Your mother was betrothed to Lucius Malfoy, did you know that? Running off with a Weasley, of all men to run off with."

Hermione bit back a laugh when she saw Malfoy and Ron's pale, horrified expressions as they looked at each other. 

"Who was the other boy?" Remus Lupin suddenly spoke up quietly, "The one that looked like James."

Hermione hesitated, "Harry," she said, "Harry Potter."

James suddenly looked excited, "Is he my kid? Where is he right now? Do you know me in the future?"

Hermione drew back at the questions. "Um, yes, he's your kid. He was sorted into Slytherin with Lestrange and Parkinson."

James looked less excited, "Slytherin? He's in  _Slytherin_?" he asked in disbelief, "But-"

"But  _what_?" Hermione asked icily, but James Potter had apparently not noticed.

Remus looked at them worried and Ron looked as if he were about to curse James Potter into the ground.

 _If this_ boy _dared to say something about Harry..._

"How is he a Slytherin? Potter's don't go to Slytherin. Especially my  _son_. He would have been raised _right_." James asked, stunned and oblivious to Hermione's rising fury.

Hermione inhaled sharply, " _You_ of all people have  _no_ right to say where Harry should and should not go." She spat, "And  _you_ shouldn't be judging him because you don't  _know_ him."

James, finally catching onto her nasty tone, shot right back, " _I_ am his father. If I  _raised_ him, he wouldn't be in Slytherin. So how?"

"Because you didn't  _RAISE_ him!" Ron nearly shouted, tired of hearing James go on as if he knew who Harry was - what he's been through. " _You_ got yourself killed when he was an infant. You have no right to judge him, he's been through fucking _hell_. All of us have." he spat and stormed upstairs.

"You don't know which dormitory is ours," Remus called after him.

"I'll figure it out!" Ron shouted back and Malfoy sighed before turning on his heel and following Ron.

Hermione glared at James Potter before going up to the girl's dorms.

"Well, that went fucking well. I'm going out for a smoke." she heard Sirius say as she left, "Can I borrow your cloak?"

 _Of course, it went horribly. She didn't expect anything different_ , she thought.  _T_ _hey haven't been through what we have,_ she told herself,  _they don't understand._

She can only hope that Harry, Lestrange, and Parkinson are faring better down in the Slytherin Common Room.

* * *

They stepped into the room and immediately were accosted. 

A handsome, pale, dark-haired boy flew to his feet. Harry recognized the familiar aristocratic features of Sirius in the boy -  _Regulus Black_ , he realized.

"Where is that book?" He hissed, walking right up to Lestrange who raised her eyebrow.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied and Regulus Black shot forward, gripping her wrist and pushing her against the wall harshly. 

Stunned, Harry's eyes widened and he looked at Parkinson to see if this was a normal happening in Slytherin, but she looked just as shocked but Lestrange looked  _fucking delighted._

"Bull _shit._ " Regulus snapped, "That was from  _my_ library. I've seen it a million times, how did you get it?"

Lestrange's eyes narrowed and within an instant, she had them flipped with Regulus against the wall, her forearm pressing hard against his throat and her face inches from his. "I don't appreciate being manhandled,  _Black_."

Harry saw a few of the other students starting to stand up and he let his wand slip into his hand as he recognized Bellatrix Lestrange - or Black, now - and Lucius Malfoy as two of them.

Regulus drew back - or as much as he could as he was literally against the wall - and gave her a wary look, "How do you know my name?" he choked out, trying to push her arm from his neck.

"What do you know of the content of the book?" She asked, stepping back from Regulus to let him catch his breath.

Holding his throat, he shook his head. "It's  _dark_ , probably one of the darkest books we have in the library. Blood rituals," he told her.

"What do the rituals  _focus_ on?" She rephrased her question and his eyes went wide, staring at her in shock as he realized what she was saying.

"Future or past?" He asked.

"Future," Parkinson answered.

Regulus nodded before wincing, "I apologize for reacting so violently." He told Lestrange who looked at him, amused.

"It's not the worst I've dealt with," she stated.

"The redhead - a Weasley, you said - he called you Lestrange. Are you...?" 

Harry looked at the boy who spoke - an older student, probably a seventh year - with dark hair loosely pulled back from his face and the same skin tone, eye color, and aristocratic features as Lestrange.

Lestrange immediately bristled as he studied her, "Not you." she snapped.

The older boy frowned but immediately another boy brightened -  _a sixth year, maybe?_ \- who looked the same as the older boy, but younger. "So, you're my daughter then?"

 _Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange_ , he realized.

Lestrange -  _Varina, that is_ \- stiffened, her eyes snapping towards Rabastan Lestrange drawing back as if she'd been slapped. " _My_ father is  _dead._ " She said so icily that Rabastan Lestrange blinked and took a step back, "I am not  _your_ daughter."

Rabastan frowned and Harry's eyes nearly widened when he saw that the to-be-Death-Eater was genuinely hurt by Varina's comment - and confused.

"But-"

" _No._ " She immediately turned on her heel and walked out of the Common Room.

"Varina! Where are you going?" Parkinson called but got no response, she turned to glare at the group of students, "Nice fucking job." she snapped.

"How was I supposed to know that she was going to storm off?" Rabastan asked in disbelief, "That's not my fault."

Parkinson inhaled sharply, her face going red with fury, and Harry briefly was reminded of the dragon he faced in the tournament in Fourth Year. "We came here from the future using  _really dangerous, really old fucking BLOOD rituals._ If that doesn't tell you that we came here because we were desperate and things were bad, you're  _fucking stupid."_

"What's your name?" An older girl that Harry immediately recognized as Bellatrix Black finally asked.

"Pansy. Pansy Parkinson." Parkinson said and then all eyes were on Harry and he internally cursed.

"Harry Potter."

Immediately there was chattering. 

"A  _Potter?_ In  _Slytherin?"_

"First Potter in Slytherin."

" _Really?"_

"Potter's going to flip out - James Potter, that is."

 "Can you just show us to our rooms?" Harry finally asked, sick of all of the attention.

"You're in Fifth Year?" A handsome boy with blonde hair and blue eyes that Harry didn't recognize asked him and Harry nodded, "I'll show you to our room, my name's Adonis Rosier, by the way. My brother, Evan, is a seventh year."

_Evan Rosier; killed by Moody at the end of the First War._

Harry nodded and followed him, noticing two other girls with Parkinson.

 _Sleep_ , he thought,  _I need to sleep._

* * *

Sirius Black walked up the stairs and towards the Astronomy Tower quietly, the last thing he needed was Filch to find him with James's cloak.

He couldn't stop thinking about what the Weasley boy - Ron - had said about James.

 _How could_ James _be dead? Was he dead in the future? Remus? Peter?_

_"...he's been through fucking _hell_. All of us have."_

_What the fuck did that imply?_

_Was the war still going on in the future? Did they not win?_

He sighed quietly and then froze as he reached the top of the Astronomy Tower.

_Someone else was here._

All he could see was the puff of smoke, but someone was there.

He hesitated - _should he go up? What if it's a Slytherin? His_ brother _?_

 _Fuck it,_ he thought,  _this is my spot._

Sirius’s eyes fell on Varina Lestrange, who was lounged on the railing of the top of the Astronomy Tower, staring out at the starry sky reflecting on the lake below.

"You're _smoking_ out here?" He asked suddenly, but she didn't jump in fright - _which would have been bad,_ Sirius _,_ he thought _, she could have fallen out the window -_ instead, she simply let her head loll towards him, her gold eyes running over him before she turned back to the outside, taking a drag from her cigarette, leaning back like a jaded queen, her robe slipping to her sides.

"Yes." She finally replied, "What an astute observation."

Sirius's eyes flew open, "Are you and the Malfoy boy related?" he asked her and Lestrange looked at him, raising one elegant eyebrow silently asking:  _why the fuck do you want to know_? "He said the same exact fucking thing to me."

Lestrange's lips tilted into a half-smile, "He's my cousin." she told him. "Are you going to come over here or are you just going to stand over there like an idiot?" She asked, holding her hand out and offering him her cigarette.

“How do I know you won’t just push me from the window?” Sirius stared at her suspiciously.

“If I wanted to kill you, Black,” Lestrange smiled at him, but her smile was as cold as her eyes, “I would have done it while you were standing halfway up the stairs under the invisible cloak debating on coming up here.”

Sirius’s eyes widened, “How did you…?”

She only smiled.

 _What's the worst that can happen?_ And _he doesn't have to waste one of his own cigarettes._

He sat across from her and took the cigarette from her outstretched hand.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked her and once again, she raised an eyebrow. "How bad was it?" he asked, "In the future." he clarified.

Lestrange sighed, taking the cigarette back, taking another drag and blowing out before giving it back to him. "You know?"

"There was quite the fight about it in the Common Room between James and two of your friends." He snorted, "And from what I gathered, the future was - is - bad."

"That's one way of putting it." She said quietly.

* * *

Harry stepped into the room and Adonis Rosier bid him goodbye before going back downstairs. He saw that one bed was clearly left open and unused and started walking towards it.

"You're one of the people that appeared in the Great Hall."

Harry  _fucking_ jumped as he whipped around to face a smaller boy about his age with an extremely thin build, shoulder-length dark hair, and pale skin.

"Yeah," Harry said, even though the boy didn't phrase it as a question. "Who are you?" he asked, but he  _knew_ as soon as his green eyes met familiar dark ones that seemed to penetrate right into his fucking  _soul_.

"Severus Snape. What's your name?" He asked with narrowed eyes, obviously putting together the resemblance between Harry and James Potter.

"Harry Potter." He told him and almost flinched as Snape's narrowed eyes morphed into a glare and his lip curled up into a sneer.

"Pleasure," Snape said dryly, clearly not meaning that before raising his hand and letting the curtains around his bed snap shut.

Harry sighed, _already, he had met the Lestrange brothers and Regulus Black and he had seen Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Black. Now, he had finally met Severus Snape, who, of course, he had forgotten was in the same year as his father and the rest of the Marauders._

_Bloody hell, he needed to sleep._

 


	3. Chapter 3

_**ii** _ __

 

It was five thirty when Varina finally returned to the common room. Sirius Black had left the Astronomy Tower hours beforehand, but she simply didn't want to go back to her common room where too many old memories would haunt her dreams - she didn't want to have to face those whose deaths she'd already come to terms with.

She quietly slipped into the common room, hoping to find her dorm and change before heading to breakfast at six.

She walked towards the stairs but froze as a tired voice met her ears: "Where have you been?"

She turned around, her eyes meeting gold eyes eerily similar to her own. 

Her father - _not her father,_ she thought furiously - was sitting on one of the couches near the fireplace. 

 _Was he waiting here all night_? She thought, guilt flooding her mind as she took in his rumpled, exhausted look.

"Your friend, Parkinson, tore into me after you left. I-I'm sorry for pushing you," Rabastan Lestrange said, swallowing thickly as he rose to his feet, moving as if he were going to take a step towards her but forcing himself not to. "I-I've always wanted a family of my own and I just need to know-" he paused, "Was I a bad father? Is that why you're so against-?"

" _What?"_ The word tore from her throat as a ragged gasp, "Why would-"

 _'I am not_ your _daughter.'_

"No." She said. "No. You-you weren't a bad father."

He stared at her, "Then I don't understand. I-I don't understand why-?"

_("Well, I don't have a good relationship with my own father, but if I did and he died and I suddenly had a chance to be with him... I wouldn't push him away." Sirius Black had said earlier that morning - or last night, perhaps - during their long discussion about the future.)_

"I'm sorry," she said, and she meant it. "For everything." Horrifyingly, she could feel her eyes welling up with tears and furiously brushed them away, "For what happened in the future, for what I said last night - I didn't mean it. I-I've lost everyone and I don't want to lose you - not again. I-I don't think I could bear it."

She didn't even hear him move forward, but suddenly his arms were around her, holding her to him.

 _He wasn't her father but he sure as hell smells like him - feels like him,_ she thought as she buried her face into his neck, her body shaking as she began sobbing. "I've missed you so much." she choked out, holding onto him tightly. He let out a shaky breath as he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, too. For leaving you alone." He said quietly.

 _It wasn't your fault,_ she wanted to scream,  _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry_ , but for now, she savored the feeling of being held by her father again.

* * *

He woke to someone shaking him.

His eyes flew open and met stunning blue ones - the Rosier boy. "Come on!" he said loudly, "I've been trying to wake you for fifteen minutes! Breakfast is almost over!"

 _Fuck_.

He shot up and immediately scrambled to his nightstand to throw on his glasses, reaching for the uniform that Dumbledore had said the House Elves would leave for him.

He was ready to go in a total of five minutes and Rosier, bless him, waited for him. 

They rushed to the Great Hall, where people were already leaving to get to class. The Slytherin table was practically empty save for a few seventh years who were rushing to finish their homework before first period.

Rosier grabbed a bagel and handed one to him, "We have Transfiguration with the Gryffindors first and McGonagall will tear us to shreds if we're late."

Harry nodded, briefly thinking how McGonagall couldn't possibly be that bad because she was fine back in their time.

He was wrong.

\---

"Mr. Rosier and Mr. Potter, that will be ten points from both of you for being late," McGonagall said as soon as they entered the classroom.

 _Two seconds,_ Harry thought in disbelief, visibly turning to look at the clock.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, as close as it may have been, late is late," McGonagall said dryly. "There will be assigned seats this year. Mr. Rosier, you'll be sitting with Miss Evans and Mr. Potter will be sitting with Mr. Pettigrew."

 _You have got to be_ fucking _kidding me._

Any look of amusement - or even emotion in general - that was previously on his face  _disappeared_ as he turned to stare coldly at the traitorous rat that sold out his parents.

_There is no way in seven hells that-_

"Please take your seat, Mr. Potter, or that will be another five points."

With nothing less than a near-snarl on his face he sat down violently next to Pettigrew, who physically  _flinched_ when he did -  _filthy coward._

His day couldn't possibly get any worse.

He was wrong.

\---

Hermione caught up with him as he walked to the library during his free period, "Hey, how was being in Slytherin last night? Are you okay?" She asked him hurriedly.

Harry nodded, "Yeah, they were all actually pretty nice, which scares me more than if they were nasty," he admitted.

Hermione snorted, "Don't take your blessings for granted, Gryffindor was  _horrible_ last night. The boys, at least, the girls were nice. I met your mother, she's very kind and funny." 

"Why was it so bad?" Harry asked curiously.

Hermione frowned, "Your father is a bigoted fool." was all she said and Harry  _knew_ that whatever his father had said was about him, Hermione shook her head - "Look, I promised Mary MacDonald last night that I would help her with her Arithmancy when I told her I was good at it, so I need to head back to the common room, I'll see you in Defense later." 

She waved goodbye and headed back the way she came from and Harry sighed as he continued on to the library only to freeze in his tracks when he saw his father, his godfather, Remus and Pettigrew walking towards him. Immediately, his father - _not father, James,_ he thought to himself - opened his mouth to say something.

Harry stiffened as he felt an arm curl around his own, "Come on, Potter, take me to the library."

 _Parkinson_.

Harry briefly gave her a grateful look but she just smirked at him. He walked right up to and past James Potter and his friends and he tried to ignore the nasty glare/sneer that Parkinson gave James as they walked by him.

As soon as they got down the hall, Parkinson let go of his arm.

"Thanks for that, Parkinson," he said genuinely but the dark haired girl just rolled her eyes.

"No worries," she said easily, "Potter - James Potter, that is - was bothering Varina in Transfiguration before, anyways." she said, and then added, "And call me Pansy."

"Then, you can call me Harry." he immediately said before asking, "How was he bothering Lestrange?"

Pansy just shrugged, "Just how all Gryffindors treat Slytherins," she said dismissively, "You'll experience it sooner or later, and you'll know what I mean. Anyways, I had no intention of going to the library, but here we are. What did you come here for?" 

Harry shrugged, "Just to get a headstart on the Transfiguration homework, McGonagall doesn't seem to like me this go around," he said dryly and Pansy snorted.

"It's not you, she just doesn't like Slytherins as a whole and this time you're not her little golden lion, are you?" she asked, amused and Harry scowled.

"I never noticed it in our time," he admitted.

"Yes, well, she's very discreet about it unless it's happening to you or your friends - and you, no offense, are more oblivious than most sometimes."

Harry rolled his own eyes this time but smiled.

_Maybe it wouldn't be all bad._

* * *

Draco Malfoy had never been more miserable.

He missed the Slytherin common room and he already missed being with Pansy and Varina. Gryffindor Tower was far too loud, too chaotic, he couldn't concentrate on his homework -  _this would have_ never  _happened in the Slytherin common room,_ he thought bitterly. 

"Hey," he heard someone say and his eyes shot up in a glare to land on Granger, who scowled at him as she sat down across from him.

"Yes, Granger?" He raised his eyebrows, frowning. 

_Why was she willingly talking to him?_

She looked around briefly before raising her wand, immediately Draco felt a privacy spell wash over the two of them, "I've been meaning to ask you something about Lestrange. How did she do that last night? With Dumbledore?"

 _Not willingly talking to him_ , Draco noted,  _simply looking for information - how... predictable._

"Most pureblood families have a trait specific to their family." Draco explained, "The Blacks, dueling extraordinaire; Malfoys are magic sensitive; Lestranges are masters of the mind arts and Varina is very, _very_ good at what she does and the one who trained her was the best there was."

Granger raised her eyebrows, "Is that where some of the stigmas against muggleborns come from?" She asked curiously.

Draco blinked, not expecting the question. "Yes," he finally said, "There were some studies done years ago with muggleborns, halfbloods, and purebloods. The children of muggleborns and purebloods can't typically perform their blood traits, or if they can, it's not as strong as it should be."

Granger nodded, "That makes sense," she admitted, thinking hard, "New blood would be unstable compared to that of old blood - the old blood has had experience with such traits running through it before while newer blood doesn't"

Draco was fairly surprised at how easily she was taking this, he was expecting her to throw a fit about how that couldn't possibly be true but-

Granger smiled at him tightly, "I know what you're thinking. After everything that's happened, I've been... trying to look at things from others' perspectives." She paused slightly, "And you could call me Hermione, you know?" she gave him a cautious, small smile, "We are in the same house now, after all."

_Oh._

"Yeah," Draco agreed quietly, "You can call me Draco."

Hermione smiled at him, moving to stand up, "Well, thanks for explaining that to me, Draco, I need to go help Mary with her Arithmancy. I'll see you later."

"See you later." Draco agreed, still slightly bemused at her sudden change in attitude.

She disappeared up the stairs and Draco frowned down at his Transfiguration homework, realizing he had gotten none of it done in his time in the Gryffindor common room.

 _Great_ , he thought bitterly before picking it up and walking up to his dorm.

* * *

DADA was a  _fucking_ disaster.

Pansy Parkinson, in all of her seven years of Hogwarts, had never experienced a DADA class as extraordinarily  _horrible_  as the one she just took a part in.

She knew it was going to be bad when the professor -  _Professor Slitshaw ("More like Professor Shitshow" Pansy had said to Varina as the class started spiraling downhill)_ \- announced that they would be dueling.

Gryffindors and Slytherins.

Dueling.

Not the brightest idea.

To top it all off, he decided to pair up Varina and James Potter, who already had an unhealthy hate-driven relationship due to being partnered in Transfiguration.

So, here she was, escorting an unwilling Varina to the hospital wing with Harry, a few feet behind them Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were with Potter.

At least Slitshaw wasn't stupid enough to send them off alone together, Pansy figured that one of them would have been killed on the way there seeing how violent their duel was getting at the end.

"The Lestrange brothers are going to be furious." Pansy noted offhandedly, "Rabastan will probably kill Potter." From the corner of her eye, she saw Harry throw her a withering look and smirked unapologetically, "Sorry, Harry, it's true."

Pansy watched him open his mouth to say something and she turned away, "Oh, look! We're here!" She said, clapping her hands together.

They entered the hospital wing and she recognized a younger Madam Pomfrey rush to them, she sighed as she looked between the three Slytherins and the three Gryffindors. "Dueling? Very well, come on."

Varina took a step forward and immediately Madam Pomfrey paused, "Miss Lestrange, correct?" Varina simply nodded, "Take off your robe."

"Excuse me?" Varina asked with narrowed eyes.

"I did not stutter, Miss Lestrange, take off your outer robe." Madam Pomfrey ordered.

Varina's expression was caught between something of a grimace and a sneer as she pulled off her outer robe and Pansy's eyes immediately widened.

 _What the_ fuck, _Varina?_

Blood - lots of it.

 _James Potter will be dead by morning, if not by Rabastan Lestrange then by me,_ she thought furiously and saw Harry staring just as stunned at Varina's back.

She turned to glare at Potter, who was staring pale and horrified at what happened to Varina's back. 

" _What_ exactly _were you two thinking?_ " Madam Pomfrey hissed, glaring between Potter and Varina.

"This isn't from the duel," Varina's voice was cold, even Pansy was taken aback, "Are you going to heal me?"

Madam Pomfrey looked flabbergasted but nodded, "Yes, come back here. Potter, you take a bed out here, I'll be with you in a moment."

She distantly noted that Black and Lupin had bid Potter goodbye and left but she was staring at Varina until she disappeared behind the curtains in the back.

_'This isn't from the duel.'_

Realization hit her like a truck.

_Varina, what have you done?_

"Harry, I need to go talk to Draco. Can you stay here and see what Madam Pomfrey says about Varina?"

Harry nodded, though he looked fairly troubled, but Pansy couldn't wait to ask what was wrong, immediately she took off towards Gryffindor Tower.

_Merlin, please let me be wrong._

* * *

Harry watched Pansy leave, waiting impatiently for Madam Pomfrey to come and tell him if Varina will be out tonight and trying to hover as far away from James Potter as he possibly could.

"I want to talk to you." 

_Son of a-_

 


	4. Chapter 4

**_iii  _ **

 

Draco was walking down the hall towards the hospital wing when he felt someone drag him into a nearby alcove. He had his wand out in a second, pressing it against the person's throat.

"Put your wand down. We need to talk." Pansy hissed and Draco lowered his wand.

"What is  _wrong_ with you? What could have possibly possessed you to physically  _drag_ me-" He began but she cut him off.

"Look, Draco, I don't have time for this. Do you remember a month and a half ago, before Blaise died, when he and Varina were being really...I don't know, secretive? Like, they were always whispering and arguing about something but whenever we asked they'd divert the subject?" Pansy asked quietly and Draco frowned.

"Yes," he said, taking in Pansy's grim look and realizing whatever she was about to say would not be to his liking.

"I think they were hiding something really bad, Draco." She said quietly, "When Harry-"

"You're calling him  _Harry_ , now?" Draco asked in disbelief but faltered under her furious look.

"I think Varina is  _dying_ , Draco." _(What? Why would she think that?)_ she spat, "But if you're so worried about what I call  _Harry_ -"

"Stop," Draco said his voice hoarse, "What are you talking about? Why the  _fuck_ would you think that? If this is some type of fucked up joke, Pansy, I swear to Merlin-"

"It's not," Pansy said sharply, "When we got to the infirmary - I don't know how she noticed, I sure as hell didn't - but Madam Pomfrey told her to take off her outer robe and, Merlin, Draco, her back was  _gushing_ blood and I couldn't really tell, but it looked as if the skin around it was  _black_. I've never seen anything like it before."

At once, a flurry of emotions flew through Draco - disbelief ( _there's no way, not Varina),_ concern _(has she been in pain this whole time and neither of them noticed?),_ fear  _(she's my_ cousin _, this is_ not _happening)_ and anger,  _(how_ dare _she keep this from them?)_

Realization ( _oh Merlin, I've known this whole time)._

"The Imbolc Festival Massacre." He swallowed thickly, "I think it happened during the Massacre."

* * *

_Risteys Hamlet. All old wizarding families had a home there. Whether they were as light as the Weasleys or as dark as the Blacks, whether they were still pureblooded or if they were now halfblooded, Risteys was a safe haven for them all._

_It was under the fidelius, several powerful repelling charms, and so many wards that most wardmasters would be baffled at how to begin to dismantle them._

_When the Aurors began prosecuting anybody with even the smallest connection to a known (or suspected) Death Eater, most of the old, darker families immediately retreated back into Risteys, seeing that it would get bad very quickly and the Aurors - which consisted of mainly newblooded purebloods and half-bloods, and muggleborns - wouldn't be able to get to them._

_They were right about the fact that it would get bad quickly, and that was proven when they brought Susan_ Bones _up to the stand to defend herself because her family, two centuries ago, were known for practicing necromancy - hence their last name, Bones_ _. Susan Bones, whose mother, father and aunt were killed by Death Eaters._

_That was when the lighter families started fleeing back to Risteys._

_They were no longer simply going after people with Death Eater connections, but anyone who could be connected to the dark in general - and_ every _pureblood family was once dark, once practiced the Old Ways._

_Children and teens were thrown into Azkaban, adults were given the kiss and eventually, the Aurors began getting more violent when going after suspected "criminals"._

_Months went by and the wizarding families of Risteys were safe and they let down their guard._

_That was a mistake._

_February 1st, 2000. The Imbolc Festival. The traditional feast had begun at sundown and they had all returned to their homes feeling content, safe, happy._

_They attacked in the middle of the night and everything changed._

* * *

_Son of a bitch._

Harry cut his eyes over to where his father, James Potter, was lounging on a hospital bed staring at Harry with an odd expression on his face.

"Then talk," Harry said, and his voice sounded cold to his own ears and he forced himself not to wince.

James frowned slightly, "Can you, maybe, come over here so I don't have to talk to you when you're all the way across the room?" He asked dryly, motioning to the chair near where he was laying.

Harry inhaled sharply,  _why don't I just sit on your lap while I'm at it_ , he thought darkly as he stalked over to the chair and sat down.

He knew his anger was fairly unjustified, if not completely unreasonable. James Potter -  _this one, at least_ \- didn't even know who Harry was, he didn't know that Harry had more or less hero-worshipped him for years and even defended him when Snape -  _Professor Snape, that is_ \- called him out for the bully that he was.

"Your friends, Ron and Hermione... they're good friends." James noted awkwardly, "You've, uh, probably heard from one of them that I said some things last night."

"Yes," Harry said flatly and James cringed.

"Ron, he said something about me "getting myself killed" when you were an infant. Is that true?" He asked hesitantly.

"Why would he lie?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought." James sighed, slumping down a bit, defeated. "So, you were raised by your mother then?"

"No. She died, too."

James frowned deeply, "Moony, Padfoot, and Wormtail?"

Harry's face darkened, "Don't you  _ever_ mention that  _rat_ around me ever again." He spat furiously, "And if you knew what was good for yourself, you would fucking leave him behind, which is where he belongs."

"What? Why would you say that?" James demanded.

 _He gets you killed,_ he wanted to scream but opted for turning his head away from James silently.

"Tell me!"

"Trust me." Harry countered and James blinked, looking taken aback.

"But you're a-" James began to protest but Harry cut him off.

"Because I'm a what? A Slytherin? Is that what you're going to say,  _father_?" Harry nearly sneered and James winced. 

 _Merlin, that's what he was actually going to say,_ Harry thought in shock - feeling a mixture of disappointment, sadness, and anger towards his father.

"You're pathetic." Harry breathed out, his voice laced with disbelief, taking a step away from James. "Snape was fucking right about you all along."

"Mr. Potter." They both turned to face Madam Pomfrey, who was staring at both of them in slight concern. "Harry Potter, I meant. If you'd come back here, I'll give you a report on Miss Lestrange's condition, which I'm assuming you stayed for?"

Harry nodded and followed Madam Pomfrey, trying to shake away the frustration he felt over finally, formally meeting his father and finding out he was as bad as Professor Snape had said he was.

 _He didn't stay here to talk to James Potter,_ Harry thought, determined,  _he stayed to find out what the hell was wrong with Varina. His focus would be Varina now - not his father, not James._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this was a shorter chapter lmao, I wanted to get one out today but I was pretty busy. Next chapter will be long!


	5. Chapter 5

**_iv  _ **

 

Harry stepped behind the curtains after Madam Pomfrey, frowning when he saw Varina. She was laying on her stomach, her ear pressed against the pillow, half-scowling, half-pouting at the wall across from her. She twisted back and her eyes met Harry's, glaring at him, but it didn't come across as intimidating to him, as it usually did when Varina was angry.

"What's wrong with her?" Harry asked Madam Pomfrey.

_Mistake_ , he immediately thought as Varina's glare darkened and now began to look a little more dangerous.

"Do not speak about me as if I'm not here." She hissed and Madam Pomfrey hushed her.

"It appears that Miss Lestrange has been struck by a very,  _very_ dark curse. From what I can tell, it's stagnant when she's not being directly affected by magic." Madam Pomfrey explained but Harry was confused.

_Not being affected by magic? What's that supposed to mean?_

Seeing his apparent confusion, Madam Pomfrey elaborated, "It means if Miss Lestrange is hit by a spell - any type of spell, whether it's as simple as the disarming charm or as horrible as the cruciatus - the curse will deteriorate very quickly and cause extreme pain throughout her body. It seems to be attacking her magical core."

"That's  _bad,_ " Harry said stupidly, stunned at the revelation.

"How intuitive of you to come to that realization," Varina said dryly and Harry scowled - _even in severe pain, she's still a bitch._

"Miss Lestrange will remain in the infirmary for the rest of the day and overnight. You two may talk, I'm going to go tend to Mr. Potter." Madam Pomfrey dismissed herself and left.

Immediately, Varina flipped onto her back and sat up, Harry went to protest -  _doesn't that_ hurt?  _he thought -_ but she simply glared at him and he forced himself not to roll his eyes and asked, "What do you want?"

Varina's lips pulled up into a half-smirk, half-smile, "You learn fast," she noted, "Send me my father and uncle. Now."

Harry scowled, "Do I  _look_ like your personal owl?" He asked sarcastically and Varina raised an eyebrow.

"Lest you want your father  _killed_ , I suggest you do it as soon as possible. If they think that it was Potter that did this to me, they'll kill him, Harry. We, snakes, you'll find, are very protective of our own," She said seriously, "Now, I'm no fan of Potter, but even I have to admit that we can't change what the future will become without him, Black and Lupin. They're all strong, and Potter and Black come from powerful families and Lupin..." Varina smirked, "I have plans for him."

"What plans?" Harry asked curiously,  _whatever it was, it wasn't good._

"You'll find out. Now, go."

_Great,_ he thought as he began to leave the infirmary, completely ignoring the fact that James Potter was staring after him with an odd look in his eyes.

* * *

Rabastan Lestrange was worried. He was worried, and furious, and pretty scared. 

In a matter of two days ( _a day and a half, really)_ , his entire world had changed. He had a  _daughter_. A real, living daughter - something that he had dreamed about because he wanted his own family  _so, so_ bad. Of course, it hurt, at first, because he thought she hated him, but then they made up in the morning and Rabastan quite literally fell in love with her when he heard how scared she was over losing him again and he vowed then and there that he would  _never, ever_ make her feel such pain again. She was his daughter and he would damn well protect her with everything he had.

And now she was in the hospital wing and Rabastan wasn't sure if he wanted to kill James Potter for doing this to her, or go and keep her company while she was stuck in the infirmary.

He and Rodolphus had bumped into the future Potter, Harry, on the way to the hospital wing and he had told them that Varina wanted to speak to them.

_So, keep company, for now, kill later_ , he decided as they entered the infirmary, which was empty save for a closed off bed in the back.

_Must have just missed Potter_ , Rabastan thought bitterly,  _pity._

They opened the curtains and stepped into Varina's area, immediately her eyes shot up from the book that she was reading and she raised an eyebrow, "That was fast," she noted, bookmarking her page and placing it on her bedside table.

"We were already on the way here," Rabastan told her.

"Sit," Varina said - _ordered, really_ \- motioning to the end of her bed and the sixth and seventh year both took a seat. 

"What happened? Did Potter do this?" he asked, "How long are you stuck in here? Is it serious?"

"No, for the rest of the day and night, and yes," Varina answered his questions. "It happened in the future, Potter accidentally triggered it again."

" _What_ happened in the future?" Rabastan demanded, "How serious is it?"

"I was cursed. My friend, Blaise, and I tried to research it in the future but we couldn't find much on it. Most books affiliated with the dark, or old books in general, were destroyed. When I'm directly hit by a spell, the curse eats away at my magical core. I believe it was used as a means to keep me out of fighting in the war," Varina explained.

_Eating away at her core_ , Rabastan thought, horrified,  _that could_ kill _her._

"That could kill you," Rodolphus spoke his thoughts aloud with narrowed eyes.

"I'm well aware." Varina said icily, "This is not what I called you here for. I want you to pass a message along for me. No one is to go after James Potter."

_What? Bull fucking shit, no one would be going after James Potter,_ Rabastan thought viciously, "No, I am. I'm going to kill him," he immediately said, which was a mistake, he realized as Varina turned a dark glare onto him.

"No. You are not," She said, "I need him alive and willing to turn on Dumbledore, which means we have to look very,  _very_ appealing. That means that you're going to leave him alone."

"Why?" Rodolphus asked with narrowed eyes.

"If he's still unharmed by the time I get out of the infirmary, then I'll tell you," Varina responded.

"Or you can tell us, and we'll pass along your message." Rodolphus countered meeting her glare head on.

_Oh no, please stop Rod, just pass along the message,_ Rabastan thought desperately.

"Rod, come on-" he began to plead, but Rodolphus just sneered at him.

"Shut up, Rabastan." He said harshly, turning back to Varina.

"I don't think you understand how serious I am right now,  _uncle_." Varina said coldly and Rabastan looked between his future-daughter and brother nervously, "Everyone who came back with me wants one thing: to prevent our future from ever happening. The only difference between all of the others and I is that I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I lost everything already, I have nothing left to lose. I'll kill anyone who gets in my way if that means that I can change our fates. Now, do you understand what exactly is at stake if someone decides to go after Potter?"

Rodolphus stared at her hard for a moment, and Rabastan  _fucking prayed_ _(please, please, please, please, Rod, please)_ that he wouldn't antagonize her further, and then Rodolphus grinned and Rabastan was more relieved than he had ever been in his life. "You're a Lestrange, alright. I was beginning to have my doubts, but you've cleared them all. I understand. I'll make sure everyone knows to leave Potter be," He agreed, before asking, "Do you intend on challenging Lucius for the position of king? Or, I guess, it would be queen for you?"

"No," Varina said flatly, "I was queen in my time for six of the seven years I attended Hogwarts. I have no problem working behind the scenes while Lucius plays king. If, however, someone decides to go after Potter..." she trailed off and they both nodded.

Rabastan finally spoke up, "We'll call a house meeting now and go let them know." he said and Varina bid them goodbye before returning to whatever book she had been reading before they walked in.

As soon as his back was turned to each other, he grinned.  _She was amazing_ , he thought _, best daughter ever_.

"Wipe that stupid look off your face, Rab. You look like a lovesick fool." Rodolphus rolled his eyes, sounding amused, but Rabastan's grin widened.

"I  _am_ , though. That's my  _daughter_ , Rod, she's  _great_. She's strong and independent and everything that a father could ask for. Hell, I don't even need to worry about boys because she'd kill them before I did," Rabastan raved after they left the infirmary.

"She's a  _Lestrange_ , Rabastan." Rodolphus slowly grinned, looking just as proud as Rabastan did, "Did you expect anything different from our own blood?"

"She has exceeded  _all_ of my expectations and it's been a day and a half. I can't wait to see what else she has in store." Rabastan noted, "Now, shall we go pass on her message?"

* * *

Harry was with Pansy and Malfoy explaining to them what was wrong with Varina when the snake pin that he had been given by Slughorn this morning began vibrating.

Immediately, Pansy stood up, and Malfoy looked at her oddly, "What's wrong?" he asked and Pansy looked at him.

"House meeting, we've got to go," Pansy told him and for a moment, Malfoy looked troubled and Harry pitied him because he knew exactly what he was feeling.

"It's important if they called it this early in the day," Malfoy agreed, "I'll see you later, Pansy." 

"See you, Draco," Pansy said and they both began walking down to the dungeons. "I wonder what's going on." Pansy mused, "They usually don't call meetings during the day, only at night. It could be about Varina, but I doubt it." 

"Are there house meetings often?" Harry asked curiously and Pansy looked at him, confused.

"Gryffindor didn't have them?" She asked and Harry shook his head. Pansy frowned, "In our time, Snape held mandatory ones at least once a week and the current king or queen could call them whenever they wanted."

_Maybe McGonagall was just busy with deputy headmistress stuff,_ he thought doubtfully.

"King or queen?" he asked, "What's that?" 

"Slytherin House is a monarchy," Pansy said, "It's ruled by one person and they have a court and everyone else is below them. In our time, Varina had ruled Slytherin since second year. She was the first official Queen, all of those before her had been kings. Theo, as her betrothed, was king consort and Draco, Daphne, Blaise, Marcus Flint, Matthias Yaxley, Aaron Travers, and I were in her court."

"But Malfoy was so..." Harry trailed off, not wanting to insult one of Pansy's closest friends, despite him being Harry's biggest rival - _was_ his biggest rival.

"Draco only ran around because  _Varina_ let him. I think she found your rivalry amusing. I love him, but Draco is a little garden snake compared to Varina's Basilisk - there's no competition between the two of them. Lucius Malfoy had once jokingly said that she was more Slytherin than Slytherin himself," Pansy laughed, "I agreed. You haven't met Varina yet, not really. What you've seen of her is what she's wanted you to see of her," Pansy admitted, "I don't know if you want to meet the real Varina."

_That's reassuring_ , Harry thought sarcastically before they both quieted down and entered the common room, where everyone was gathered.

Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy stood at the front of the room and Pansy and Harry immediately moved to stand with the other Fifth Years, who were standing off to the left. He ended up standing in-between Pansy and Adonis Rosier who gave him a small wave as he approached.

Lucius Malfoy cleared his throat, "Now that everyone's here, we will begin," He said steadily, "As you all have probably heard, Varina Lestrange has been in the hospital wing since third block after dueling James Potter in Defense."

Immediately there were murmurings and Rosier turned to Harry, "Is she okay?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice even though he had never even spoken to Varina.

_'We, snakes, you'll find, are very protective of our own'_

"Yeah, she's okay," He told Rosier and Rosier nodded.

"Good," he said quietly.

"James Potter will not be subjected to retaliation by Slytherin House," Lucius announced and immediately there was chaos.

_"It's his fault!"_

_"Why does he get off for attacking one of our own?"_

_"ENOUGH!"_ Lucius Malfoy yelled and everyone silenced, "He will not be subjected to retaliation, there will be  _extreme_ consequences if someone even attempts. You are all dismissed."

"Well, that was something," Rosier said, wide-eyed.

_Yeah, it was._

Harry had a terrible, terrible feeling.

* * *

Varina Lestrange was royally bored. It was midnight and she was not tired and she had finished both books Madam Pomfrey had given her to read.

Madam Pomfrey had left three hours ago for bed, giving her free reign around the hospital wing, thus, she had taken to exploring all of the cabinets and drawers in the room.

The doors slammed open and Varina whirled around, her hand still on a sleeping draught and her eyes met furious silver ones.

"Hello, Black." She greeted amiably, "What brings you here?"

Sirius Black didn't respond and instead sneered and Varina cocked her head in slight confusion.

_Ouch, that was rude._

And then Remus Lupin appeared in the doorway with a limp James Potter, placing him on a nearby bed.

"What happened?" Her voice serious as she realized what  _must_ have happened.

Black nearly spat, "We wouldn't know, we found him unconscious near the Astronomy Tower. Probably whatever you ordered the rest of your filthy snakes to do.

"I did not order this," she hissed, furious, stalking towards Potter, intent on getting answers.

"Back up, Lestrange," Black said harshly, but Varina ignored him.

" _Ennervate,"_ she said and immediately Potter's eyes flew open, his face contorting in pain. She spat out another spell and Potter relaxed, she grabbed his face and tilted it towards her, his hazel eyes meeting her gold ones.

_Legilimens._

Immediately, she was faced with memories of Potter wandering down the halls an hour ago before being attacked from behind. The attacker's face was only seen briefly, but it was enough for Varina.

"Anti-Paralysis Potion, blood-replenishing potion, burning bitterroot balm and a calming draught." She told them, "Give him a dreamless sleep potion so he can sleep easy. He'll be fine."

"What happened to him?" Lupin demanded, "Who did this?"

Varina shook her head, "I'm going to handle it," She said coldly.

Varina Lestrange was royally pissed.

_Dolohov was going to die._


	6. Chapter 6

**_v  _ **

 

****

" _DOLOHOV_ _!"_

Harry awoke to a near-roar, his eyes flying open as he shot up in his bed, heart beating erratically.

_What the fuck?_

He got up from his bed and threw on a nearby shirt and his glasses.

 _Should he go down?_ He thought to himself, pausing briefly before promptly deciding that  _yes, he should_.

He flung open the curtains around his bed and darted from the room, rushing down the stairs to the common room.

 _Varina_ , he realized when he saw her standing at the door to the common room, speaking angrily with Rodolphus and Rabastan, and Lucius Malfoy, who must have come right to the common room when they heard her.  _What's going on_? He thought, confused as he looked around the common room, where several of the older years were gathered, talking quietly in huddles looking at the scene before them in slight excitement.

_Why is she even out of the infirmary?_

"I thought she was going to be in the hospital wing for the night?" A voice asked from slightly behind him - Rosier.

Harry jumped, not realizing that the rest of the Fifth Year boys had followed him. "She was," Harry said, "Or she was supposed to, at least."

_What could have happened to piss her off so much that she left the hospital wing?_

Harry began to take a step forward but felt an arm grip his wrist tightly, his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance as he turned to face Pansy, who was still in her nightclothes. She shook her head, "Stay here." she said quietly, "I think she's challenging Lucius Malfoy."

_Challenging? For what?_

He looked over to where the four were standing, only to see they had been joined by four other people: one, who he recognized, was Bellatrix Lestrange ( _Black,_ he reminded himself _, she's a Black right now)_ who was standing slightly behind Rodolphus, Rabastanm and Varina, and three older boys that Harry didn't recognize who were behind Lucius Malfoy.

 _Lucius Malfoy is the current king,_ Harry realized,  _Varina's challenging him for his position._ Immediately, he understood why they had positioned the way that they were. Rodolphus, Rabastan and Bellatrix were siding with Varina and the three boys that Harry didn't recognize were siding with Lucius.

"Why is Bellatrix Black siding with Varina?" He asked Pansy, who looked at him.

"Bellatrix challenged Lucius in fourth year. She was dismissed because she was a woman," He heard an unfamiliar voice say from next to Pansy, "I assume she just wants to see Lucius fall, and this is even more pleasing because his downfall will be caused by a woman." 

His eyes met shrewd, pretty light blue ones. The girl's lips curled up into a slow smile, "Narcissa Black. It's a pleasure to formally meet you, Harry Potter," She greeted, each word articulate and carefully chosen. 

"You, too," Harry replied awkwardly, sounding incredibly inelegant and uncouth compared to Narcissa Black, whose eyes flashed in amusement as he spoke.

"What's going on? Who yelled my name?"

All heads turned to the steps, where a seventh year boy with dark hair and even dark eyes scowled at the scene, apparently not realizing what exactly was at stake.

 _Dolohov_ , Harry thought _, he cursed Hermione in the Department of Mysteries, and he just did something to really piss Varina_. Harry looked back at Varina. She stood almost languidly but the look on her face revealed her intent: her gold eyes were dark – dark and knowing, incandescent but calm. She folded her hands over her chest, and the glare that settled in her eyes shook Harry to his very bones.

_What did he do? Why is she so angry?_

"You were told, Dolohov, that there would be extreme consequences for attacking James Potter," Lucius Malfoy said, stepping forward and Dolohov sneered, unrepentant for what he had done.

Harry's eyes widened,  _Dolohov attacked his father? When? That son of a bi-_

"You are hereby removed from the Court." 

Harry's eyebrows knit together, "I thought Varina was challenging him?" he asked confused and Pansy, somehow, seemed delighted and furious at the same time.

"He just tried to dismiss Varina's challenge." Pansy looked torn between laughing and glaring, "He's going to regret that."

Harry frowned, turning to look at Varina, who was now looking at Lucius Malfoy with a mixed expression of amusement, anger, and annoyance. 

"Did you just try to  _dismiss_ me?" She asked incredulously and Pansy finally snorted out a half-laugh, half-cough as she tried to cover it up. "I don't think so," Varina scoffed and took several steps forward. Behind her, Bellatrix took out her wand, staring at the three seventh-years that sided with Malfoy vindictively.

"I don't know what Evan is thinking," Rosier said quietly, looking nervous, "Going against the Lestranges and Blacks - he's going to get killed."

Harry's eyebrows shot up as he finally recognized one of the seventh years as Evan Rosier, Adonis Rosier's brother.

"Bellatrix is the only one up there though." Harry noted, his lips pulling down slightly, "Of the Blacks, I mean."

"One Black gets involved, we all do." Narcissa Black responded, "If push comes to shove, Andy, Reggie and I will all get involved."

Harry blinked, nodding as he looked around. True to her word, several feet away, Regulus Black's wand was in his hand and he looked ready to jump right into a fight and across the room, a girl that looked eerily similar to Bellatrix with slightly lighter hair and a softer face was staring at the scene intently, a small frown on her face.

"If you think you're getting off with just a removal from a  _dead court_ , you're wrong, Dolohov," Harry heard Varina say and he turned back to scene in front of him. A flash of white and Dolohov's wand slipped from his hand as he was hit by a silent, full body-binding curse, falling back hard onto the ground. "I'm not going to kill you, but by the time I'm done with you, you'll wish I had."

With her wand dangling loosely in her hand, she made a silent, swift movement that Harry didn't recognize, but a horrifyingly familiar flash of dark red told him all he needed to know.

_Merlin, tell me she's not crucioing him._

But Dolohov didn't scream or writhe on the ground and he didn't look like he was in pain at all, instead, the red curse seemed to absorb into his body, which gave out a horrendous shudder before he stilled, his eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling erratically.

"What did she do to him?" Rosier - Adonis Rosier - asked, looking slightly sick. Harry shook his head in disbelief.

Varina turned, her eyes meeting Lucius Malfoy's. She smiled, her eyes glittering with triumph, her lips pulled into a pretty smile, "I'm your Queen now. If you have a problem, step forward and we'll settle it."

No one stepped forward.

 _She just usurped control over Slytherin_ , Harry realized in shock, looking around at the wary faces of the people around the room, the frown on Malfoy's face as he took a step back, his eyes flickering from Dolohov to Varina cautiously.

"Good," Varina's smile widened, "I want Dolohov's body outside the Great Hall in a half hour,  _exactly_. Don't get caught by the portraits or you  _will_ be taking the fall," she said coldly, "And you'll probably end up in Azkaban," she added, "And you'll cause me a lot of trouble, so don't."

She turned and left without another word, remorseless of what she had done.

Immediately, the students began dispersing back to their rooms, talking quietly. Some looked apprehensive, some scared, some excited.

A chill ran up Harry's spine as Bellatrix Black laughed loudly from across the room, "Down with the patriarchy!" She announced before wandering over to who Harry could only assume was Andromeda Black.

 _He still didn't understand half of what just happened,_ he realized,  _how was Varina able to take control so easily? Why didn't Malfoy fight back? Why didn't anyone else get involved? Why was Slytherin so fucking different than Gryffindor? _

"We need to talk," Pansy told him seeing the increasingly annoyed look on his face, "Come over here."

He followed Pansy through the Slytherin common room and towards a table near one of the windows that look out into the Black Lake. They took a seat on the leather chairs and Harry looked across the table at Pansy, her face tinted green from the reflection of the window.

"You're still confused. What do you want to know?" She asked him seriously, "There's not much room for fumbling here in Slytherin - they'll tear you to shreds. If they found out you were a  _Gryffindor_ in the future, it would be even worse."

"What just happened?" Harry immediately asked, desperate to know what was going on, "I understand that Varina  _somehow_ just usurped control over Slytherin House from Malfoy but I don't understand  _how_. How did she do it so easily?"

Pansy didn't speak for a moment as if she were trying to figure out how to explain in a way that Harry would make sense of it. Harry probably should have felt offended that she thought so little of his mental capacity, but he didn't say anything.

"Varina is a Lestrange," was the first thing that she said. "The Lestranges are much wealthier than the Malfoys, almost on par with the Blacks. They're older, too. On the other hand, the Malfoys are much more politically involved than the Lestranges, which is why they're on par with each other power-wise in Slytherin."

"So, the hierarchy is based upon how wealthy you are, how pure you are, and how much of the ministry you own?" Harry's lips flattened as he spoke, not pleased with the Slytherin system, but Pansy just smirked.

"Not exactly - Tom Riddle," was all she said and Harry scowled at her.

"What about him?" He nearly hissed.

"When he was in Hogwarts, Lord Abraxas had told us that no one knew his blood status. He could have been a muggleborn for all they knew, but he fought tooth and nail to get to the top of the food chain - and he did. He, for his many grievous faults, became a Slytherin King by cunning and sheer ambition alone," Pansy explained, "Varina used both."

"How?" Harry shook his head, "It looked like she just used her name and power to take it from Malfoy."

Pansy looked pleased, "It did, didn't it? She's good, really good." 

_What?_

"What?" he asked, confused, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Varina, above all else, is frighteningly intelligent when it comes to sheer manipulation and poking at people where it hurts. In this case, earlier today - before the duel - she had done some digging about the Black sisters and Regulus Black to see if any of them would side with her if she decided to challenge Malfoy. She would, of course, already have her father and uncle's backing, but that would simply put her on par with Malfoy, who, as I said, was on equal footing with the Lestranges. The Blacks, on the other hand, are wealthier than both of them and Lord Arcturus  _owns_ the entire ministry. Only an utter fool would cross the Black Family. With the backing of the Blacks, Varina was sure to have no competition - and Bellatrix Black  _hates_ Lucius Malfoy."

Harry nodded slowly, trying to absorb all that she had said. "Okay, I think I understand, now," he finally said, "But one last question, you said that if Varina  _decided_ to challenge Malfoy. Was she not planning to?" 

Pansy hesitated and then sighed, "I don't know. You never know with Varina, she does what she wants and we just follow, but I don't think she was planning on it. Like I had said, she was Slytherin Queen for six years back in our time, she wouldn't have had a problem with just working from the shadows to prevent our future from becoming reality here. Seeing how Malfoy can't even control his own house... She decided to step in," Pansy shrugged, tossing her hair over her shoulder, "But, as I said, I don't know. That's what I'm assuming."

"I changed my mind," Harry suddenly said and Pansy raised her eyebrow, "I have one more question."

Pansy looked amused, "And that is...?"

"Varina... I never really knew her in our time, even when we all started meeting up, she always more withdrawn than you and even Malfoy-Draco, I mean and when she wasn't _brooding_ , she was a completely different person - confident,  _meaner than hell_ , and stupidly manipulative and... she seems a lot more desperate than the rest of us to change the future. What... what happened to her?" Harry asked hesitantly and Pansy's amused look completely vanished.

She didn't talk for a while, and Harry was about to open his mouth and take back the question when she finally spoke up. "She lost  _everything_ , Harry. Her father and mother, her brothers, both of her uncles, both of her aunts, her fiancé who was also her best friend, her  _other_ best friend. It was when Theo was killed that... it wasn't pretty, Harry. Blaise, Draco and I - one of us had to be with her at all times cause we were fucking  _terrified_ that she was going to-" She took in a sharp breath and stood up suddenly, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be telling you all of this. Varina should, when she thinks it's time. Please, forget I said anything," she said quietly, "I'm going to go to bed, I'll see you in the morning, Harry." 

She moved to walk towards the stairs before stopping, "Before I forget, in the morning, can you talk to Snape? Ask him if knows of - or can create - a potion that reduces the effects of the Varina's curse. Make sure he doesn't tell anybody else about it though."

Harry nodded, not even registering what Pansy had said - vaguely noting that she had thanked him and left him alone to sit lost in his own thoughts.

 _Was she implying that Varina was going to... No, she couldn't have, not Varina. Varina's too... Varina to ever thinking of something like that_ _,_  Harry shook his head as he thought, but another part of his was thinking about how even he knew how close Theodore Nott and Varina Lestrange were, - more than best friends, more than just lovers - they were inseparable. One could not think Theodore Nott and not think of Varina Lestrange, and vice versa, and it could have been his death that pushed her over the edge.

Detached, he watched the small sea creatures and fish swim past the window. They were free, completely unaffected by Harry's inner turmoil - the _world's_ turmoil - and he envied them for that, he could only hope for the best - hope that they could change the future and hope that they didn't die for it.

_They've all lost enough to these wars - none of them deserved to lose their lives, too._


	7. Chapter 7

**_vi_** ****

_She was going to turn herself over. She would not risk her father, who has done everything and beyond for her - who she loved more than anyone else in the entire world._

_She went to move forward - 'towards certain death', she thought bitterly, the Dark Lord would not let her live for abandoning the Dark Order - but strong arms wrapped around her waist, yanking her into a nearby alley - a hand immediately covering her mouth and then a silencing charm. She turned to look, panicked, at whoever grabbed her._

_A boy around her age with dark hair and stunning violet eyes - Theo._

_'No, no, no, no, stop Theo, stop,' she thought, sobbing silently,_ _staring up at a gathering in the middle of Diagon Alley, where the Dark Lord and her father were standing - the younger Lestrange brother on his knees next to the Dark Lord, looking half-dead._

_"I'm sorry," Theo breathed out, "But your father would kill me if I let you sacrifice yourself for him."_

_“Heiress Lestrange, this is your last chance to come out or your father will perish,” The Dark Lord called and Theo held her tighter as she pushed against his arms._

_'NO, NO, NO, PLEASE, THEO, LET ME GO, LET ME GO!'_

_A moment went by and the Dark Lord said: “Very well.”_

_A flash of green._

_Rabastan Lestrange hit the ground - dead._

_And she_ screamed _, and the silencing charm broke_ _._

_"NO, DADDY!"_

_“We need to go, we need to go now!” Theo told her, but she was almost mindless in her attempts to run towards her father, she didn't understand a word he was saying._

_'Can't be happening, this can't be happening. Why, why, why, why, WHY_ _!'_

_“Greyback, get them,” she vaguely heard the Dark Lord order, but didn't - couldn't - comprehend it._

_“Varina, we need to leave!” Theo shouted, pulling her to her feet. “DRACO!” He shouted._

_A laugh from the entrance of the alley - 'Why is Greyback here?' she thought, panicked, finally realizing the situation that she and Theo were stuck in and looked at him._

_Theo looked from Greyback to Varina to Draco - 'When did Draco get here?' Varina thought hysterically, and when his and Draco’s eyes met, Theo nodded._

_'What's going on?'_

_"What's going on? What are you doing, Theo?" She asked desperately as Theo took out his wand._

_Greyback began running towards them._

_Theo flicked his wand and she felt a painful feeling in her side as she was launched towards Draco. She landed hard in her cousin’s arms._

_Her head flew around, her eyes wide with pure terror as she realized what Theo had done - '_ _no,' she thought, 'no, no, no.'_

_“THEO!” She yelled desperately, “NO!”_

_Too late._

_She's always too late._

_Greyback launched towards the slighter boy, his teeth ripping into his neck and Varina let out a horrible, horrible scream. Blood everywhere, Theo crying out in pain._

_And then they were gone, they reappeared back in Malfoy Manor and she was still screaming, sobbing, crumpled on the ground with Draco holding her tightly._

_Distantly, she heard two pairs of footsteps running down the stairs._

_She felt Draco shake his head and immediately felt two more pairs of arms wrap around them._

_"I'm so sorry, Rina," Pansy said quietly, her voice cracking._

_She didn't hear her - she didn't hear anything except the roaring of her own thoughts: 'my fault, my fault, my fault, sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry.'_

_"Miss Lestrange!"_

Varina Lestrange took a sharp breath as she woke up, eyes wide with panic as she looked around,  _where is she?_

The infirmary. She was in the infirmary, and all at once the memories from last night and the past day had come back to her -  _duel, pain, Potter, father and uncle, Potter, Dolohov._

She felt anger, and then satisfaction.

_Dolohov is going to thoroughly regret his actions._

"Miss Lestrange," Madam Pomfrey said softly, "Are you okay?"

"It was just a bad dream. I'm fine," the lie feeling bitter on her tongue -  _she wished it was only a dream_.

"Very well," Madam Pomfrey said, not believing a word she had said, and rightfully so. "Breakfast has already started, I left you your uniform on the nightstand. You're free to go," Madam Pomfrey said, and then her voice turned hard, "I must urge you to not get into any duels until we find a counter-curse, you understand?"

"Of course," Varina agreed amiably, and Madam Pomfrey left.

Varina frowned -  _shouldn't she be more worried - stressed - if she had found Dolohov? What's going on?_

She quickly threw on her uniform and tossed the hospital gown onto the bed carelessly, before stepping out of her area. Her eyes immediately fell on a group of professors with Madam Pomfrey: Dumbledore, Slughorn, McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout.

 _There he is_ , stiff as a board, eyes wide open, chest quickly rising and falling - Dolohov.

_So they did do as she said, good._

"Miss Lestrange?" She heard Dumbledore call her name, and she tore her eyes from Dolohov's catatonic state and looked at Dumbledore, making sure to seem concerned, confused and shocked.

"What-What happened to him?" She stuttered, "Will he be okay?"

"He appears to have been hit by a very dark, very old curse. We are still unsure as to what it is doing to him," Dumbledore said, his eyes meeting hers. "We found him outside the Great Hall early this morning."

 _A challenge._ _He thinks she was involved - or at least that she knows what happened_ , Varina thought, delighted.  _A_ _pity_ , she thought maliciously, _he didn't realize that he was attempting to gather information from the wrong Slytherin._

"Have you contacted his father? I've heard he's a very talented...  _cursebreaker,_ " Varina offered and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"Of course, we were just getting to it. We shouldn't hold you from breakfast, you run along now," Dumbledore dismissed her and Varina simply smiled slightly as she turned to walk away.

Her smile widened as she left the infirmary.

_Two birds, one stone._

* * *

Harry woke up late.

Again. 

 _Son of a bitch_ , he thoughts he put on his uniform, grabbed his book bag, fixed his tie ( _"Slytherins do not walk around with an unkempt_ _uniform, Harry," Pansy had hissed yesterday, fixing his uniform before they walked into class)_ and left. He walked down the hallways alone - _Adonis hadn't waited this time_ , he thought, surprised that he felt slightly hurt by this, and then slightly panicked.  _No, Harry, these people aren't your friends - most of them, if not all, will become Death Eaters._

 _But will they?_ Another part of Harry thought,  _did he really believe that Varina would let her father and uncle become Death Eaters again? Let any of them become Death Eaters?_

 _But will they listen to her?_ He doubted and then nearly snorted,  _Ignore Varina? As if._

He entered the Great Hall and paused when he saw the changed seating at Slytherin table. 

_This must have been why Adonis left early. Where the fuck am I supposed to sit?_

Pansy was sitting next to Varina, who sat right in the middle, facing the rest of the hall, across from Varina was her father and to his right was her uncle and to his left was Bellatrix Black. His eyes fell on the open seat between Varina and Narcissa Black and across from Rodolphus Lestrange. 

Varina, who must have finally caught sight of him, waved him over and he bit back a sigh of relief as he walked over to sit between the two of them, because other than that seat, the only other open seat was at the end of the table next to Lucius Malfoy and that was  _not_ happening, he'd rather sit in his dorm.

He took a seat, ignoring the stares he got from the rest of the Slytherin students, "Where are all of the professors?" he asked Varina and Pansy curiously and Varina's lips curled up into a small smile.

"I'd assume they're still trying to figure out what's wrong with Dolohov," she said, taking a sip from her glass of water, looking incredibly pleased with herself. "They looked  _very_ worried when I left the infirmary."

"What did you even do to him?" Pansy asked, amused, "I've never seen that curse before."

Varina looked as if she were about to answer, but then the teachers began making their way into the Great Hall and her lips flattened.

Dumbledore stood at the head table as the other teachers took their seats, all of them had grim expressions on their face.

"Last night, there was a terrible attack on one of our students," he announced, there were hushed whispers throughout the hall as people craned their heads around to see if they noticed anyone missing. 

 _How_ _discreet,_ Harry thought sardonically as several people began staring over at the Slytherin table, obviously confused at the sudden seating changes. One steely look from Varina and they looked away.

"Sheep," Varina muttered in disgust, her lip curling into a sneer.

Harry couldn't help but agree.

Dumbledore held up his hand and everyone immediately silenced.

"Seventh year, Antonin Dolohov was found outside the Great Hall this morning in a near catatonic state - the victim of a very old, dark curse - we are unsure as it if he will wake up. We're still trying to figure out what happened and who attacked him. We  _will_ be calling in Aurors to investigate, some of you will be called in to speak with them. Classes are canceled today," Dumbledore said, but there were no cheers as one would have expected from the cancelation of classes.

Harry's eyes drifted over to the Gryffindor table: The Marauders were whispering furiously among themselves, Draco Malfoy looked amused ( _Harry had no doubt that Draco already knew that Varina was the cause of Dolohov's condition),_  Hermione looked apathetic to the entire situation if not slightly pleased, as Dolohov _was_ the one that cursed her in the future, but it was Ron's expression, that surprised Harry, he looked pale as he shoveled food into his mouth, as if trying to distract himself.

 _What's wrong?_ Harry wanted to ask him, but couldn't from across the room, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Pansy's voice tore him from his thoughts: "To the start of a glorious reign," she said quietly, a smirk on her face as she lifted her glass and took a sip.

Dutifully, with the others, he echoed the words just as quietly as she did and took a sip of his drink.

 _Something was off with Ron, and Harry was going to find out what it was._  

* * *

"What's wrong with you, Ron?" Hermione hissed at him as they entered their common room and moved towards one of the tables at the corner of the room. She swept her arm up and cast the Muffiliato Charm and turned to give him a serious look, "You  _reek_ guilt right now, please tell me you didn't attack Dolohov, as much as I hate him..."

Ron stared at her in slight disbelief, "Of  _course_ , I didn't attack Dolohov," He replied, stunned before his shoulders slumped, "I wish I did. Whoever did was genius."

"Ron!" Hermione said, scandalized and Ron rolled his eyes, giving her an annoyed look.

" _What_ , 'Mione, he deserved it! He  _cursed_ you in the future," he exclaimed, his eyes widening at her further angered look,  _what did I say?_

"I'm well aware of what he did, Ron, but it doesn't make it right," she replied steely but Ron grinned.

"You didn't say he didn't deserve it," he noted, pointing at her and Hermione rolled her own eyes.

"Maybe he deserved it a little," she agreed and Ron's grin widened. "Anyways, trying to get me off-topic isn't going to work,  _Ronald_ , what's got you so nervous?"

Ron sighed,  _of course, he couldn't get her off-topic, this was Hermione, she's scarily perceptive._

"I wasn't in my dorm last night if they question me... 'Mione, I could be a viable suspect," Ron said nervously, his grip tightening on his book bag.

"What were you doing? Can't you just tell them?" Hermione frowned deeply and Ron shook his head and instead of verbally responding, he looked around and reached into his bag, pulling out a familiar dark brown case, opening it to reveal its contents.

He spoke quietly, despite the Muffiliato Charm, but excited.

"I _found_ it, Hermione. Ravenclaw's Diadem. We can start."


	8. Chapter 8

**_vii  _ **

 

"Harry, did you talk to Snape yet?" Pansy asked him quietly as they drifted to the back of the crowd of Slytherins as they all made their way back to the common room.

Harry blinked in shock, "Have I  _what?"_ he asked in slight disbelief.  _Why, exactly, would I have spoken to Snape?_

Pansy looked at him, completely unamused. "Really?" she asked flatly.

_'...in the morning, can you talk to Snape? Ask him if knows of - or can create - a potion that reduces the effects of the Varina's curse. Make sure he doesn't tell anybody else about it though.'_

"Oh," Harry said, as realization dawned upon him, shooting Pansy an apologetic look to which she simply glared at him.

"This is  _important_ , Harry," She stressed.

"I know, I know," Harry soothed her, holding his hands up, as she began to rile herself up, "There's just - something was wrong with Ron this morning, and I-"

"I'll figure it out," Pansy said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument, "Now,  _please_ , go talk to Snape."

Harry sighed but nodded, "Alright," he agreed and Pansy smiled brightly at him, thanking him before walking off.

* * *

Sirius Black roamed through the hallways, stalking right after Varina Lestrange, who had broken off from the group of Slytherins and was wandering by herself down the hallway.

_He needed answers and he needed them now._

James had told him about what his - about what Harry had said about Peter.

_"...if you knew what was good for yourself, you would fucking leave him behind, which is where he belongs."_

_What the hell is that supposed to mean?_

His eyes fell on an alcove up ahead and immediately he nearly  _launched_ forward, grabbing Lestrange's wrist and yanking her into it. He felt her stiffen beneath his arm as he slammed her against the wall.

" _Ooh_ ," Lestrange began and Sirius knew he wasn't going to like what she was about to say, so he cut her off.

" _No_ ,"he said hardly, "I want to know what Harry Potter meant when he told James to drop Peter."

Lestrange's eyes flashed with delight, "Oh, what a  _sweet_ boy! He didn't tell Potter what Pettigrew had done in the future? He's so alarmingly soft-hearted - it really does scare me sometimes."

" _What_ did he do?" Sirius demanded, his grip on her neck tightening, but Lestrange didn't look worried. In fact, her smile widened further as she leaned forward.

"Now, why should  _I_ tell  _you_?" She whispered, her eyes flickering up and down his body briefly, her lip curling into a sneer, "You have  _nothing_ to offer me."

"Money-" he began but Lestrange cut him off with an incredulous laugh.

"Love, I am a  _Lestrange_ , we are just as rich as you," she said haughtily, "Try again."

"A favor," he said, and Lestrange looked interested, " _Any_ type of favor," he elaborated before pausing, "Except sex."

Lestrange sneered, "As if I would ever debase myself into calling upon a favor from you and have it being  _sex_ ," she spat, before her eyes flashed challengingly, "Especially," she said leaning forward so her lips were inches from his own, "when I can just have your brother instead."

Sirius slammed her back against the wall hard, "Stay the  _fuck_ away from my brother, Lestrange," Sirius hissed furiously but she just laughed, amused.

"Don't worry," she began, winking at him, "I'm not exactly his type."

Sirius frowned in confusion before shaking his head, "What's wrong with Peter?" he demanded and Lestrange's lips pulled up into a cruel grin, and once again leaned forward, this time next to his ear.

"The Potters  _die_ because one of the Marauders sell them out to the Dark Lord," she whispered hotly against his ear and Sirius pulled back, stunned, releasing her.

"Peter...?" he asked in disbelief, but Lestrange just shrugged, laughed and walked out of the alcove.

"So much for friends for life, right?" she called over her shoulder mockingly before sauntering down the hall, looking extremely pleased with herself.

Sirius's eyes darkened as soon as he absorbed what she had said.

_Pettigrew was going to fucking die._


End file.
